Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 25 (IANS) Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Sunday asserted that the state government would not protect anyone found guilty of wrongdoing against women in the Malayalam film industry even as actresses came forth with damning allegations against various top artistes and directors.
Her statement came after prominent actor Siddique and noted director Ranjith resigned from their respective posts of General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and Chairman of the Kerala State Film Academy after being accused of sexual abuse by women actors.
Interacting with media persons here, George said: “Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already made the government’s stance clear. We will not support or protect anyone involved in misconduct. Legal action will be taken against those who are guilty.”
She also called upon women in the film industry who have faced abuse to come forward and file complaints, assuring them that the police would initiate cases and investigations accordingly.
“If they require assistance in filing a complaint, the state’s Women and Child Development Department is prepared to offer the necessary support,” she said.
George also lauded the efforts of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), acknowledging their role in bringing to light the distressing experiences of women in the industry.
“It was the WCC that brought these issues to the government’s attention. In response, the government established a committee to study their concerns. The High Court is currently reviewing the committee’s report, and further actions will be taken based on its findings,” she said.
After the Justice Hema committee report, revealing the mistreatment and sexual exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry, finally came out, there have been demands that the AMMA must come clean against allegations of sexual abuse against its members.
Noted Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra publicly stated that she had faced sexual abuse and molestation in 2009 from Malayalam director Ranjith, leading to his resignation from the state film academy post.
As actor Revathi Sampath alleged that popular actor Siddique had sexually assaulted her on a movie set, he resigned from his AMMA post. Sampath on Sunday also alleged that Malayalam actor Riyas Khan had called her on the telephone and forced her to indulge in sex talk. “Riyas Khan had called me and asked me whether I was interested in sex and the position I would like. I was in shock and when I recovered, he told me that if I was not interested, I could suggest some of my friends who would be interested and as he was in Kochi for nine days straight as part of shooting a movie,” she told reporters here.
–IANS
aal/vd
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
